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What Can I Substitute for Baking Soda?

This is a story about me standing in my kitchen in a panic asking out loud, “What can I substitute for baking soda?” It starts out as a tragedy. It turns into a fairy tale ; )

Yesterday, Jeremy and I were making some Gingerbread Blondies* for some troops overseas. I was convinced I had all the ingredients for this holiday treat.

Deep into the recipe I saw an ingredient I had misread, baking soda…not baking powder.

Jeremy knew something was wrong because as my eyes fell upon the “add baking soda” part, I screamed. I do that a lot in the kitchen. The first hundred times I did it, Jeremy thought I had cut off my fingers. Nope! When I scream in the kitchen it’s usually because I accidentally used sugar instead of salt or I am missing an ingredient or something is expired 🙂

Jeremy says I feel the need to be heard every 15 min. and that is why I randomly scream. I reject that. REJECTED. But, it’s probably something that needs to be revisited. In a therapy session. He should really look into that, poor guy. 🙂

I had to explain to him that, OBVIOUSLY, I am actually very cool and collected when under duress. Anytime something has really gone wrong, like a sliced finger (ask Brandy), a fire (not contained in a fireplace), a pecan pie falling in slow motion hot from the oven onto the floor…I am actually very quite silent. I assess. And then act.

Anyway, I screamed, showed Jeremy all my appendages to calm him down and then exclaimed, “I have no baking soda.”

What Can I Substitute for Baking Soda?

After talking to my mom (a master in the kitchen who now answers “Kitchen Hotline!” when I call her phone) I had the solution. You can use baking powder in place of baking soda, you just need to triple the amount. You can do this because there is actually baking soda in baking powder, but just a little bit.

Get Argo! It is aluminum free! Bad aluminum. Stay out of my baking powder.

My recipe called for 1 teaspoon of baking soda so I substituted with 3 teaspoons baking powder. (That math was for free. Any additional math requests and there will be a fee.)

BUT WAIT…another gem of a fact. There is salt in baking powder so it is usually a good rule of thumb to omit any salt the recipe calls for. My recipe called for a tsp of salt and since I like testing things…I added the salt. 🙂 I know, Out. Of. Control. I live on the edge.

When the gingerbread squares were baked and cooled, I tasted one. And screamed. And then I showed Beau all my appendages for added relief. And then noted that the baked treat was a little on the salty side.

It was slight. Not overpowering, but still there.

Other than that, they were seriously delicious. We will make these again and again for holidays to come. And they were pretty effortless (if you have a mixer). Get the recipe (or scroll to bottom of post for full recipe in printable format).

So, let’s recap. You can keep your birthday suit on (that’s what you cook in, right?) when you realize you have no baking soda. Just reach for the baking powder, triple the amount called for and omit the salt.

Done and done.

*We wanted to make a Christmas treat for the troops we know that will be gone for the holidays. I needed a treat that travels well. These blondies are both festive and travel very well. If you need to make a treat that will travel, get the recipe below.

And now for the cliff notes. This is my artistic side coming out 🙂 Enjoy:

Yields 8

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

15 minPrep Time

25 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

10 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat parchment.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or desired shape.

Notes

Blondies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Recipe Credit: Martha Stewart

Thanks for posting the info. I have a problem with those screams too. Ha ha! You were the first article I clicked on for substitution. I was in the middle of making my boys homemade cookies when I realized I was ou tof baking soda. Your post was a blessing. I just used baking powder and it worked like a charm. Thanks!

Not trying to pit you down but what if I don't have baking powder. What do I do. I'm 12 and want to make scones for my moms breakfast before she leaves for work one day. Please help. I just want to do something nice for her after all she has done for me.

Thank you so much for your insight on no baking soda .. I new their was salt in baking soda and that is why I can't eat many pad try's because the salt does raise your blood pressure and since I am going medicine free it makes all the difference .. God Bless You

Gosh thank you. Right in the middle of making my molasses cookie dough, and you guessed it, no B soda I googled and here you come to my rescue. Would have never guessed to triple BP. Thank you again, and I enjoyed the humor , MERRY CHRISTMAS

Thanks Dear..I was baking a chocolate cake for my son..baking soda was not there...I used your formula of 3 times although in a hurry forgot to omit the salt...but the cake came out very well...it was little dry...but I used sugar syrup to make it moist...Thanks a bunch...

I followed your suggestion for substituting baking powder for baking soda & salt. It worked well in the oatmeal cookies I made. I discovered I was out of baking soda while I was creaming the butter & sugar, so it was especially helpful. Thank you.

I made muffins and was supposed to put 3 teaspoon of baking powder. I had 2 containers that looked so much a like of baking powder and baking soda. I have been making these bran muffins for weeks now and realized I have been adding 3 teaspoons of soda instead of baking powder. So I made them with baking powder today. I have to say I really like the baking soda better.

Welcome! I'm Bri! Accidental home cook. Lover of gathering people around a table over a meal. Author of Come & Eat (September 2017). What I really want is to pull out a chair for you at my table. But until then, I hope you stay awhile and enjoy my stories + recipes!

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